Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 August 1883 — RUIN AND DEATH. [ARTICLE]

RUIN AND DEATH.

Appalling Work of a Cyclone in South* em Minnesota. One-third of Rochester Devastated and Twenty-six Citizens Killed. A Train Overturned and Many of the Passengers Killed. A deadly cyclone swept through Olmsted county, Minn., on the 21stof August, audits path was strewn with wrecks and the bodies of the killed. So terrible was the force of the wind that trains were blown from the track, buildings were destroyed, crops annihilated, and the town of Rochester, the county seat of the county, was wrecked. The loss of life was great, twenty-six people being killed outright at Rochester alone, while many others were injured so badly as to preclude all hope of recovery. The destruction of life and property is nearly if not quite as great as that occasioned at Grinnell, lowa, last spring. The following details of the work of the tornado are gleaned from the telegraphic reports printed m the metropodtampress: Tuesday evening at , 11 o’clock, Rochester was one of the most beautiful cities in the West Ten minutes later its beauty had disappeared, and In parts of the city ruin and desolation reignea. A terrible cj clone visited the city, leaving death and destruction in its track. The day had been beautiful—warm—until evening, when clouds began to gather. The atmosphere was oppressively and hot About 4 o'clock Lt seemed as though it had commenced to clear up But soon heavy black cloudy came from the northwest and rain feu heavily. ‘Directly after 6 o’clock the clouds assumed the greenish appearance that is the forerunner of these terrible visitations, accomjJanied by a rumbling noise, ana In a shore time the wind rose, increasing in violence until the full force of the cyclone was upon us. What was once a weU-populated portion of the city was the scene of ruin. To describe it is impossible. The main course was through the tower part of the town, but its force was felt more or less in all parts of the city, and its freaks were wonderfuL It demolished well-built structures on Broadway, doing no harm to adjacent buildings beyond overturning chimneys and stripping the tin coverings from roofs. One great beauty of the city was its many trees that lined the streets. Of these hundreds were either torn down or broken off, and many streets were rendered impassable by their being filled with trunks or limbs. Some were stripped perfectly bare, even the bark being torn off, and ft will be years before Rochester will recover Its loss. As before stated, that portion of the city north of the railroad called “ Lower Town” received the most damage. Indeed, there is not a house that is not injured, ana not to exceed twenty that are left, standing In some parts. It looks at a distance as though there had, never been a building standing in that portion, while in other lections the ruins of houses show the terrible destructive force of the wind. As soon as the cyclone had passed and the people in the more favored portion of the city began to learn of the damage, they went at once to Lower Town to render what assistance they could, many working all night The dead and wounded were conveyed to Buck’s Hotel, the Winona House, Dr. Layer’s Office and private resldencea While all knew the destruction had been fearful, no Idea of it could be obtained until next morning, when its honors were made known. Commencing at the J. R. Cook House on the Bt Paul road, which was entirely demolished, the cyclone next took Mr. Leland s residence, barn and outbuildings, not leaving a stick standing. Thence it swept through Lower Town. From the appearance of the ground it appears as if a terrific fiood had swept over this section. In many places where residences stood scarcely a Board is left on the premises. The grass is tilled with dirt and sand, as if a muddy Stream had poured over it An organized movement was made to care for the wounded and appeals were made to the larger ■titles for aid, which were answered with liberality. The principal losses in the city, as nearly is have been estimated, are as follows: Court-House unroofed and dome gone, |2,000; High-School building, tower ana part 9f roof gone, $2,000; Methodist Church, roof rone, sides hulked, inside wrecked, $6,00); congregational Church, steeple off, $1,(00; railroad depot unroofed, round-house gone, bridge ruined, and other losses, $15,000; Vanuuzen & Ca, elevator, $10,0(0; H. T. Porton, elevator, $7,000; Harvester Works and machinery, $12,001: I. M Cole’s mill side and roOff off, mill wrecked, and engine blown into the river, $3,000. Crescent creamery, $1,000; Cascade mill $5,000; George Stockburg, store and stock, $3,000; William Beardsley, building, $1,000; A. D. Vedder, machine depot, $2,000ten busmess blocks unroofed, $5,000; 250 houses, with contents; $185,000; 200 houses damaged, $30,000. The total loss is $394,000. The cyclone was first heard of south of Dodge Centre, thence east, striking Olmstead county in Salem township, where Cyrus Hall’s ba>p and part of his house were destroyed. • Baxter Little’s buildings on his farm and Mr. Donovan’s buildings were iwept away and several families injured. Much damage was done to farm property and live stock. The storm then enterea Rochester, taking a northwesterly oourse through the city. Three hundred houses are destroyed, and fully 200 damaged. The Congregational Churchy where thirty-five children had just returned from a picnic, had the spire blown off. No children were hurt Mrs. Helen Beck, of Ashland, Dodge county, was taken up by the storm while in a field and has not been heard from Olson and his wife and daughter, of Canistee, Dodge county, were killed. Mr. Berg was Killed and his farm buildings blown away. A Soung lady visiting Van Franche was fatally ijured. In the town of St Charles the cyclone struck Job Thorington’s farm, destroying the house, crops, and killing Job Thorington and injuring all the family. Farm property was much injured in Utica and in the southern part of Wabasha county. A terrible accident occurred between Rochester and Zumbrota, on the Rochester and Northern division of the Chicago and Northwestern road, by which about 1(0 people were killed and wounded. On account of the interruption of the teleShic service at Rochester no information d be obtained till the arrival of a train from the scene of the disaster with thirtyfive people who had been wounded in the accident 'Of this number many seemed to be seriously hurt, and all were taken to the hospital. The train running at a great speed was lifted from the rails and dashed to pieces. A gentlemap who has been to the scene of the* disaster describes it'as one of the most horrifying character. Every car on the train was almost Immediately shattered to pieces by the sudden stop caused by the train leaving the rails, together with the forces of the storm, burying the unfortunate -passengers beneath the debris, killing many and injuring nearly every person aboard the train. The gentleman stated that nine dead bodies had been taken from the ruins, and a large number of those seriously injured were removed to Rochester and Owatonna A passenger on the Northwestern railroad, who reached Rochester a few minutes after the fatal cyclone had accomplished its fearful work, describes the scene as being sickening in its horrora The entire north part of the place from the Chicago and Northwestern track was a confused mass of debris Scarcely a house was standing, and' the few which were had been moved from their foundations and shattered as by an earthquake. The affrignted survivors were at work rescuing the injured and recovering the bodies of the dead. Before midnight twenty-three corpses lay in a hotel to which they had been re-

moved. They were pitiable figures—some of them crushed and mangled out of resemblance to the human form. Nearly all were injured about the head, and the begrimed faces appeared to have been dragged in the earth by the whirlwind. Forty wounded, many of them seriously, had been removed to undestroyed dwellings. It was thought at least tweniy bodies jet remained in the ruins. The portion of the city swept by the cyclone comprised about a third or its extent, including several stores and generally the poorer dwellings. The storm appeared to have formed about eighteen miles northwest of Rochester, and, gathering violence »s it progressed, destroyed several farm-houses in its course. * A lowering, dun-colored funnel-cloud was seen approaching the fated town, and in a few moments the slaughter had been accomplished. No time was given for any preparation had it teen possible. Tbe scene among the devastated district, and the place where the dead lay, was indescribably sad. Mothers wildly searched for their children, while little homeless waifs were found whom the tempest had orphaned. One child was the only survivor of a family of seven. The passengers on this train were not aware that a frightful cyclone had passed near them until their attention was directed to feather beds and articles of wearing apparel lodged against the barbed-wire fences which indicated something of a blow. The wheat and other straw which was blown from the stacks was twisted abput the rails in large quantities, presenting a singular appearance where the death-dealing funnel crossed the track. The fatal black cloud swept toward St Charles, five miles southeast cutting a wide swath through the timber and the farms, wrecking buildings in the country, and touching the skirts of the little hamlet with fatal effect, leaving two corpses and three fatally maimed. One of the dead men Whs found in a tree-top, his body apparently having been taken limb from limb by the mere force of the wind while being drawn up and carried along in the terrible funnel The Stevens family, consisting of four persons, saw tire approaching storfh-cloud and hastily wept into a huge tank cistern bur- * ied In the ground, ana which fortunately contained no water. Their house was torn, to pieces and wholly carried away over their heads Not a vestige of their house remained, but their lives were spared.